Caleb Wilson scores 23, UNC men’s basketball tops Navy. Here’s what we learned

A good portion of the Navy bench was already standing and applauding before 5-foot-11 Austin Benigni drilled a 3-pointer to cut the Midshipmen’s deficit to single digits entering halftime at North Carolina. Two more Navy buckets to start the second half made it an even closer affair.

But a Jarin Stevenson dunk soon opened up scoring for UNC and the Tar Heels kept rolling to an 73-61 win over Navy (2-3) at the Dean E. Smith Center on Tuesday night. With the victory, UNC (5-0) ended its five-game, season-opening homestand and became the third NCAA men’s basketball program with 2,400 wins, joining Kansas (2,417) and Kentucky (2,425).

The Tar Heels entered Tuesday night on the heels of a historic defensive performance against N.C. Central on Friday. UNC blocked 14 shots against the Eagles, the most single-game blocks by the Tar Heels since the 2013-14 season.

North Carolina’s defensive showing against the Mids was far less dominant.

Navy rattled off a 15-0 run in the game’s final minutes — a stretch that saw the Mids score half of their second-half points in three minutes. That flurry cut Navy’s deficit to nine points before a Stevenson 3-pointer put UNC back ahead by double digits.

This is the first time UNC has started its season with five consecutive wins since 2022-23. The Tar Heels return to play on Nov. 25 when they take on St. Bonaventure in the first of two games at the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida.

Here’s what we learned from North Carolina’s latest win:

Caleb Wilson. That’s the takeaway.

After Wilson recorded his second consecutive double-double — and first career 20-point double-double — against N.C. Central on Friday, NCCU head coach LeVelle Moton called the freshman “absolutely incredible.”

“If there’s anyone better in the country, I’ve got to see that for myself,” Moton said. “Because that kid is remarkable.”

And Tuesday night’s 23-point, 12-rebound performance was a reminder that he’s not slowing down anytime soon.

After being hamstrung by two first-half fouls, Wilson recorded 15 points in the second half on six-of-eight shooting.

One second-half stretch saw Wilson dunk the ball four times, sink two jumpers, hit two free throws and assist on a lob to Henri Veesaar. The Wilson show powered a 17-5 UNC run in that nine-minute stretch.

Only one of the points during that period, a free throw from Luka Bogavac, wasn’t scored by or assisted by Wilson.

Stevenson attacking the rim, Wilson soaring high

When an Aidan Kehoe layup cut Navy’s deficit to four points early in the second half, Stevenson responded by soaring to the rim for a putback dunk — throwing the ball down with a bit more flair than we’re used to seeing from the Alabama transfer.

He got the dunk party going. Wilson, of course, was the first guest to arrive. The freshman scored his next three buckets on dunks — the trio of slams took less than two minutes — to complete a 10-3 run for UNC. After the third slam, the second of two straight dunks in transition, Wilson and Stevenson found each other and bumped chests in celebration.

The Tar Heels recorded 10 dunks on the game.

According to Bart Torvik, North Carolina ranked third in the nation in dunks as a team, behind Georgia and Kentucky, entering Tuesday. Dunks made up approximately 24.3% of UNC’s offense, per Bart Torvik.

That mark ranks second in the nation and should increase after this game.

Do the Tar Heels have a solid option at backup post?

While North Carolina’s guards have shown plenty of depth from Derek Dixon to Jonathan Powell, UNC’s backup forwards haven’t been as convincing through the team’s first five games.

In October, head coach Hubert Davis said the return of sophomore Zayden High would be a “huge benefit” for the team.

“He’s a big, versatile big that can do a number of things for us,” Davis said at the 2025 ACC Tipoff in Charlotte. “Defensively, he can guard multiple positions. He’s an excellent rebounder. He’s a great offensive rebounder. He has the ability to shoot the ball from the outside, but also he’s a willing and instinctive passer. And so you bring all those different things alongside his size.”

Entering Tuesday night, High — who is back on to the team this year after serving a suspension last season — had recorded as many field goals this season as he had fouls: four. He also entered the Navy game shooting 30.8% from the field.

James Brown, the other reserve forward UNC’s gone to, hasn’t posted much better numbers. Brown had recorded five points in 18 total minutes entering Tuesday, including four fouls.

On Tuesday, Brown and High combined for two points and 10 minutes of playing time.

This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 9:18 PM.